Saturday, January 5, 2013

My Real Food Journey

Although I now understand the importance of a whole foods diet, it was
not always that way. I truly sympathize and understand how difficult
and overwhelming it can be to make such a drastic change. It is even
sometimes difficult to even WANT to make that change. I grew up in a home where processed foods were the norm. They
were cheap, quick to prepare, and tasty. Part of me did not want to
give up foods that seemed so convenient and comforting. I would even
make such quips as, "I'd rather be fat and happy then skinny and
miserable." I was only looking at food on a superficial level then, not
even thinking about the detrimental effect it was having on my
health. I also
thought, "hey, I may be chubby, but I have had two kids! It isn't like I
have diabetes or need medication or anything. I'm fat, but I'm
healthy."
I was in denial. I was NOT healthy. My BMI was in the obese category. OBESE! I had
such severe fatigue that I could not make it through a single day
without taking one or more naps, despite going to bed before 8pm at
times. My husband pretty much would have to work a full day, and then
come home and take care of the house. Homeschooling the kids was the
only task I could complete....barely. I had severe irritability and
mood swings. My blood pressure had started to creep to a level that was
concerning. Along with infertility, my hormone imbalance caused by my
poor health made me deal with excess facial hair, scalp hair loss,
severe acne, and painful and irregular menstrual cycle. I was addicted,
so addicted to these poisonous foods that I did not want to give them
up, even though they were inhibiting my health and my ability to be a
good wife and mother. I had enough. I did not want to be on
medications at 30 years old. I did not want to miss out on the prime of
my life because I would rather have donuts or Kraft mac and cheese. I
didn't want to diet. I didn't care if I was a size 14 or a size 4. I was
at the point where all I cared about was getting my quality of life
back, and that meant a desperate and deliberate change was in
order. I joked that "I started to make myself eat the foods that I made
my kids eat", but that is really pretty much what happened. Instead of
having junk around for myself and real foods for my kids meals and
snacks, I just stopped buying the processed stuff. Period. It was not
even brought into my house. It was not easy. I dealt with headaches and
other symptoms as my body suffered withdrawl
from sugar and the other chemicals, but slowly a miraculous thing
happened..... My body eventually started craving the real food--the
fresh produce and proteins that it needed so badly to repair all the
damage that I had subjected it through all the years.
Almost a year has passed since I began my whole foods journey. Throughout the
whole process my mission was
to obtain better health, never on getting down to a certain dress
size. The food we eat is so important to the way our body functions.
It is not about being skinny or chubby. Thin people who consume
nothing but processed foods are still doing great damage to their
health, despite how small their jean size may be. Amazingly, I have found that when you focus on fueling your body
with unprocessed food, you also shed those unwanted pounds(I've lost 80lbs, in case you are wondering). My
energy level has increased exponentially. Not only do I have the
stamina to keep up with my children, but I also enjoy exercising--even
running! I feel so much younger and like myself. I am still dealing
with some hormone imbalance issues, but those continue to improve slowly
but surely. Most importantly, I can be the wife and mother that God
called me to be and also set a good example for my children, and that is the greatest gift of all.

Followers

Follow by Email

About Me

I am a proud USAF wife to Jeff. God has blessed us with two beautiful children. We strive to serve and love the Lord with all of our hearts.
This blog is about our adventures in homeschooling, military life, and our attempts to live a natural lifestyle.